Effect of apomorphine on retention of a brightness discrimination in dopamine supersensitive rats

Apomorphine is known to improve the retention performance of a brightness discrimination task after post-training intrahippocampal application to rats. The present study shows that the retention performance of dopamine supersensitive rats was improved by a low dose of apomorphine which was still ineffective in control animals. Dopamine supersensitivity by itself had no effect on acquisition and retention parameters of brightness discrimination. The result further supports the assumption that dopamine receptors in rat hippocampus can modulate the formation of memory.

Comparison of androgen biosynthesis in isolated leydig cells from rat and mouse testis: incubation and superfusion studies

Production of testosterone by highly purified Leydig cells prepared from rat and mouse testes is compared. Testosterone formation is improved to a higher degree in rat (2.7-fold) than in mouse (1.7-fold) cells by collagenase treatment of the testis compared with mechanical isolation. Mouse Leydig cells respond to exogenous stimuli (choriogonadotropin, dibutyryl cyclic AMP) with 2.4-fold higher testosterone secretion than rat cells. A 1.7-fold increased conversion of androgen precursors to testosterone by mouse compared with rat Leydig cells is demonstrated in static incubations as well as in steady-state superfusion experiments and can be derived from enhanced androstenedione reduction and a less inhibitory effect of progesterone on this process in mouse Leydig cells.

[The course of functional psychoses (author's transl)]

Functional psychoses correspond to a universal reduction of mental and intellectual function which, fundamentally reversible and unspecific, appear as sequelae of disturbances of cerebral function. They are the most common psychoses in medical practice and in hospitals. With the Syndrome Short Test and Functional Psychosis Scale B we now have a mutually equilibrated test system for the measurement of the whole range of severity of functional psychoses. With these two psychopathometric methods a relatively differentiated investigation of cross section and course can be performed, for example in arriving at a diagnosis, checking medical measures, monitoring the effect of drugs and in the prognosis of a disease.

[Visualization by electronmicroscopy of 28 nm virusparticles (astroviruses) in faeces of newborns with acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis (author's transl)]

On occasion of an epidemic of acute nonbacterial gastroenteritis virus particles were visualized by electronmicroscopy in the faeces of 76 newborns; these particles had the following properties: mean diameter 28 nm; ether-resistent, stable at pH 3.0; buoyant density 1.33--1.34 g/ml in CsCl. About 10% of these particles had a definite star-like structure on their surface. Due to these properties the virusparticles were considered to be astroviruses. The virus was not cytopathogenic for cell cultures susceptible for enteroviruses, and not pathogenic for newborn mice.

[Drug-related increase of intelligence level. Considerations and a double-blind-study with flunarizin (sibelium) (author's transl)]

Fluid and crystallized intelligence are two second-order factors that are differentiated within the intelligence model by R.B.Cattell. Fluid intelligence is considered to be a biological capacity relatively independent of environmental influences. Crystallized intelligence, however, is connected to accultured skills and knowledge. The capacity of fluid intelligence decreases by non-optimal states of general activation, functional psychosis (physically founded reversible psychosis) or defect-syndromes (physically founded irreversible psychosis). Fluid intelligence can increase by drugs only, if the functional psychosis is diminished or if the state of activation is optimized. There is no drug-effect on crystallized intelligence but an indirect influence via fluid intelligence. The hypothesis of the drug-related increase of fluid intelligence as a correlate to the diminuition accompanying the functional psychosis should be confirmed by a clinical experiment. Therefore two samples of 20 patients each with a functional psychosis following cerebral blood-flow disturbances received flunarizine (Sibelium) and placebo respectively during a double-blind study lasting 12 weeks. Under the activ substance to be applied for amelioration of peripheral and central blood-flow the measured values of fluid intelligence increased six weeks after starting therapy, while there were no changes under placebo. In the end of the investigation the measured intellectual capacity had increased by 50 per cent under flunarizine.

[Morphokinetic reactions in the adrenal gland of the albino rat after anaesthesia with inactin (author's transl)]

A marked decrease in the nuclear size in the adrenal medulla and a slight increase in the nuclear volume of the zona glomerulosa was found in the Inactin anaesthetized Wistar rat. The nuclear volumes in the zona fasciculata did not show any alteration. The influence on the activity of the cells in the adrenal medulla is supposed to be due to a depression in the central nervous system by Inactin. The slight activation of the zona glomerulosa is attributed to stimulation of the renin-angiotensine-system by an Inactin induced change in renal function. A failing dose dependent effect is taken as a sign of compatibility of the administered drug.

[Comparative autoradiographic in vitro-examinations of cell proliferation in normal and psoriatic epidermis using autologous plasma and eagles basel medium with 10% fetal calf serum for incubation (author's transl)]

In normal human epidermis and in psoriasis we examined the cytokinetics under in vitro-conditions. We found a continuity of DNA-synthesis during the first 2 hrs of incubations. There were no significant differences between the data obtained by incubation in autologous plasma or in Eagles Basal Medium with 10% fetal calf serum.